Medical connector with internal valve member movable within male projection

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a valve assembly comprising a male luer end portion and a female luer end portion and a passage for the transfer of fluids extending between the male and female luer end portions, valve means movable between a first position, in which the passage is closed, and a second position, in which the passage is open, biasing means for biasing the valve means toward the first position, and actuating means extending into the male luer end portion and coupled to the valve means to actuate the valve means when a female luer end portion of a medical accessory is engaged with the male luer end portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/916,778, filed Mar. 9, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,105,492, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/648,147, filed Jul.12, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,913,945, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/052,592, filed Oct. 11, 2013, now U.S.Pat. No. 9,707,346, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/305,663, filed Nov. 28, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,556,868,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/789,255,filed May 27, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,066,692, which is a continuationof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/584,920, filed Dec. 28, 2006, nowU.S. Pat. No. 7,758,566, which is the National Stage Entry ofInternational Application No. PCT/US04/42723, filed Dec. 21, 2004, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/532,916, filedDec. 30, 2003; the entire contents of all of which are herebyincorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.Any and all priority claims identified in the Application Data Sheet, orany correction thereto, are hereby incorporated by reference under 37CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to medical fluid delivery valves and moreparticularly to valve assemblies for use with syringes or other medicaldispensing devices.

Description of the Related Art

Syringes are commonly used to deliver medications and other biologicalfluids to a patient. The syringe typically has a plunger which issealingly engaged with an outer cylindrical chamber to form an innerfluid-receiving chamber, A ‘male’ luer fitting is usually provided at adelivery end of the chamber which receives a female luer fitting with aneedle assembly or the like. The fluid channel joining the cavity to theluer fitting is usually open, so that when the needle is removed, thecavity is open to the environment. This is problematic since manymedications and biological fluids are sensitive (or can degrade whenexposed) to the environment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novelvalve assembly for use with a syringe or other medical dispensingdevices, enabling the latter to be closed to the environment when in anunattached condition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one of its aspects, the present invention provides a valve assemblycomprising a male luer end portion, a female luer end portion and achannel for the transfer of fluids between the male and female luer endportions, valve means movable between a closed position and an openposition, biasing means for biasing the valve means toward the closedposition, and actuating means extending into the male luer end portionand coupled to the valve means to actuate the valve means when a femaleluer end portion of a medical accessory is coupled with the male luerend portion.

In an embodiment the male luer end portion has an inner projection andouter threaded sheath which is spaced therefrom to receive the femaleluer end portion therebetween. The actuating means includes an actuatingmember positioned between the outer threaded sheath and the innerprojection.

In an embodiment, the valve means includes a valve seat and a valvemember moveable relative thereto. The channel includes a first channelportion adjacent the female luer end portion and the inner projectionincludes a second channel portion. The valve member has a valve channelportion in fluid communication with the first and second channelportions. The valve seat is formed in the second channel portion and thevalve member is integrally formed with the female luer end portion.

In one embodiment, the valve member includes an anchor flange extendingoutwardly toward an inner surface of the housing portion. In this case,the housing portion is coupled to the male luer end portion for movementtherewith relative to the valve member. The male luer end portionengages the anchor flange when the valve means is in the closed positionand the male luer end portion is spaced from said anchor flange when thevalve means is in the open position. The housing portion terminates atan end region adjacent the female luer end portion, the biasing meansincludes a compression spring located within the housing between the endregion and the outer anchor flange.

In another of its aspects, the present invention provides a medicaldispensing device comprising a body having a chamber therein to containa fluid material, a valve assembly in fluid communication with thechamber, the valve assembly having a male coupling member for engaging afemale coupling member on a medical accessory to form a fluid couplingbetween the medical dispensing device and the medical accessory, thevalve assembly further comprising flow control means operable to controlfluid flow through the male coupling member, the flow control meansbeing operable to be displaced by the female coupling member to open themale coupling member when female coupling member is operativelyconnected therewith, the flow control means being operable to bedisplaced by the female coupling member to close the male couplingmember when the female coupling member is disconnected therefrom.

In one embodiment, the male coupling member includes an inner maleportion and an outer sheath portion spaced therefrom to form a passagethere between for receiving the female coupling member, the flow controlmeans including at least one valve actuating portion positioned in thepassage to abut the female coupling member and to displace the valvemember during the travel of the female coupling member along thepassage. The valve assembly includes a valve member and a valve seat,wherein the valve member is positioned against the seat to close themale coupling member. The valve actuating portion includes a pair ofabutment elements which are spaced from one another along the passage toreceive the female coupling member there between, wherein the pair ofabutment elements are operable to travel with the female coupling memberalong the passage.

In one embodiment, the actuating portion is longitudinally orientedrelative to the passage and the abutment elements are positioned alongthe actuating portion.

The valve member includes a back plate and a plurality of actuatingportions equally spaced on the back plate, each of the actuatingportions having first and second abutment elements.

In one embodiment, the valve actuating portion includes a locking flangewhich is adjacent one of the abutment elements. The valve assemblyincludes a locking seat to receive the locking flange when the malecoupling member is in the closed position. The actuating portion has adistal end region, the locking flange being located adjacent the distalend region and the locking seat is formed in the outer sheath portion.The actuating portion is thus arranged to flex in order to displace thelocking flange from the locking seat.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a medicaldispensing device comprising a body having a chamber therein to containa fluid material, a valve assembly in fluid communication with thechamber, the valve assembly having a male coupling member for engaging afemale coupling member on a medical accessory to form a fluid couplingbetween the medical dispensing device and the medical accessory, themale coupling member including a projection and an outer valve membermovable relative to the projection, the projection and the outer valvemember forming a fluid channel there between, a sheath portionencircling the projection and spaced therefrom to form a passage toreceive the female coupling member, the valve member being engageablewith the female coupling member and movable relative to the projectionto open the fluid channel when the female coupling member is connectedwith the male coupling member.

In one embodiment, the valve member forms an outer surface of the malecoupling portion.

In an embodiment, biasing means is provided to bias the valve membertoward an engaged position with the projection to close the fluidchannel. In this particular case, the passage ends at an inner wall andthe biasing means includes a spring located between the inner wall andthe valve member.

In one embodiment, the projection is fixed to the body and includes aninner passage, the inner passage having one end which is open to thechamber and another end which is open to the fluid channel. Theprojection also includes an enlarged end portion, the valve memberincluding an outer portion arranged to engage the enlarged end portionto close the fluid channel. In this case the enlarged end portion andthe outer end portion on the valve member have mating bevelled surfaces.

In one embodiment, the female coupling member has a leading segment, thevalve member being dimensioned to fit within the leading segment.

Preferably, the medical dispensing device includes such items as asyringe, an IV bottle, an IV line, a powder and/or atomized fluid and/orgas inhalant dispenser, an implant delivery dispenser, a ventilator, asyringe pump, an intubation tube, a gastrointestinal feeding tube or aplurality and/or a combination thereof.

Preferably, the medical material is in solid, liquid or gaseous form ora combination thereof and has beneficial properties to enhance life, topromote health, to cure and/or treat a disease, condition or ailment, tomonitor and/or indicate a bodily function or a combination thereof. Forexample, the medical material may be useful for, among others, IVtherapy, implantation, stem cell therapy, oncology therapy, bloodtransfusion and/or organ transplantation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will now bedescribed, by way of example only, with reference to the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a syringe assembly;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the assembly of FIG. 1 in twoalternate operative positions;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view of a portion ofanother syringe assembly;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary perspective views of another syringeassembly;

FIGS. 8 to 12 are fragmentary sectional views of the syringe assembly ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective view of yet another syringeassembly; and

FIGS. 14 and 15 are fragmentary sectional views of the syringe assemblyof FIG. 13 or portions thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the figures, and in particular FIG. 1, there is provided asyringe assembly 10 comprising a syringe 12 and a valve unit 14. Thesyringe 12 has a chamber 20 containing a plunger 22 to form a cavity 24.Referring to FIG. 2, the cavity has an outlet 26 and the valve unit 14is located downstream of the outlet 26 for coupling the cavity 24 with amedical accessory such as a needle 30 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4). Thevalve unit 14 has an outlet 32 and flow control means, as will bedescribed, to control fluid flow through the outlet, the flow controlmeans being operable to open the outlet when the coupling section isoperatively connected with the medical accessory, the flow control meansbeing operable to close the outlet when the valve unit is disconnectedfrom the medical accessory and to remain closed until connected onceagain with a medical accessory.

In this case, the chamber 20 includes a first male luer end portion 34adjacent the outlet 26 and the valve unit 14 includes a first femaleluer end portion 36 which is engageable with the male luer end portion34. The valve unit 14 also includes a second male luer end portion 38for coupling with the medical accessory 30.

Although the chamber 20 and the valve unit 14 are separate from oneanother in this case, it will be understood that they may,alternatively, be integrally formed, for example by combining the firstmale luer end portion 34 with the female luer end portion 36.

The valve unit 14 has a channel 42 for the transfer of fluids betweenthe female and male luer end portions 36, 38. A valve means, in the formof a valve member 44 is located in the valve unit 14 and is movablebetween a first position (as shown in FIG. 2), in which the channel isclosed, and a second position (as shown in FIG. 3), in which the channelis open. An actuating means, in the form of an actuating member 46(shown in FIG. 2), extends outwardly from the valve member 44 and intothe male luer end portion 38. The actuating member 46 is coupled to thevalve member 44 to actuate it when a female luer end portion of themedical accessory 30 is engaged with the male luer end portion 38.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the male luer end portion 38 has anouter threaded sheath 50 which is spaced from an inner projection 52. Inthis case, the actuating member 46 is positioned between the outerthreaded sheath 50 and the inner projection 52. The valve member 44includes a valve plug portion 54 moveable relative to a valve seatportion 56. The valve member 44 has an upper end which is integrallyformed with the female luer end portion 36. An outer housing member 58is slidably mounted on the valve member 44. In this case, the outerhousing member 58 is joined to the male luer end portion 38. The valvemember 44 also has a valve channel 44 a extending from the female luerend portion 36 to the valve plug portion 42 where it terminates at oneor more transverse flow openings 44 b to join with the channel 42.

The valve member 44 includes an anchor flange 60, and the male luer endportion 38 seats, directly or indirectly, against the anchor flange 60when the valve is in the closed position as viewed in FIG. 2.Conversely, the male luer end portion 38 is spaced from said anchorflange when the valve is in the open position as shown in FIG. 3.

The outer housing 58 terminates at a radially inwardly directed endregion 62 adjacent the female luer end portion 34 and a biasing means inthe form of a compression spring 64 is located within the outer housingbetween the end region 62 and the anchor flange 60 to bias the valvemember toward the first position to close the valve unit.

An alternative arrangement is shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the valveunit 70 has a housing 72 which is integrally formed with the female luerend portion 74. A first channel portion 76 is adjacent the female luerend portion 74 and a second channel portion 78 is adjacent a male luerend portion 80. In this case, the valve means includes a valve member 82having a valve channel 84 in fluid communication with the first andsecond channel portions 76 and 78. In this case, the valve seat portionis formed at 90 in the second channel portion 78.

The valve member 82 includes a plug portion 92 which is movable relativeto and within the second channel portion 78 for engaging the seatportion 90 to close the second channel portion 78. The first channelportion 76 includes a tubular projection 94 extending from the femaleluer end portion 74. In this case, the valve channel 84 in the valvemember 82 is coextensive with the first and second channel portions 76,78. In this case, the tubular projection 94 is slidably engaged with thevalve member 82 within the valve channel 84 and sealed therein by way ofseal 98. Likewise, the valve member 84 is sealed within the secondchannel portion 78 by way of seal 100.

The syringe assembly 10 is used as follows. First, the valve unit 14 isjoined to the syringe 12 by engaging the corresponding first male luerend portion 34 with the female luer end portion 36. In this condition,the second male luer end portion 38 is unattached with a medicalaccessory such as the needle 30 and the actuator 46 is fully extendedinto the second male luer end portion 38 as shown in FIG. 2.Consequently, the valve member 44 is biased to its closed position,thereby engaging the valve plug portion 54 against the valve seat 56.

The needle 30 is then attached to the syringe by engaging the femaleluer end portion on the needle 30 with the second male luer end portion38. Doing so causes the female luer end portion on the needle 30 to abutand displace the actuating member 46, thereby causing the valve member44 to be displaced upwardly (as viewed in FIG. 2) thereby releasing thevalve plug portion 54 from its sealed abutment with the valve seat 56 toopen the valve channel. The plunger 22 may then be displaced outwardlyto cause fluids in the proximity of the pointed end of the needle 30 tobe drawn into the cavity 24, by a path starting at the valve seat 56through the channel 42 to the transverse flow openings 44 b, to thevalve channel 44 a and on through the female luer end portion and intothe cavity 24. The needle 30 may then be removed causing the actuatingmember 46 to be displaced downwardly (as viewed in FIG. 2) causing theimmediate displacement of the valve plug portion to abut the seat 56 andthereby close the valve.

Another device is shown at 120 FIGS. 6 to 12, having a body 122 formingan inner chamber 124 therein to contain a fluid material. A valveassembly 126 is in fluid communication with the chamber 124 and has amale coupling member 128 for engaging a female coupling member 130 on amedical accessory (in this case a needle 132) to form a fluid couplingbetween the device 120 and the needle 132.

The valve assembly 126 is operable to control fluid flow through themale coupling member 128 and more particularly to be in an open positionwhen the male coupling member 128 is operatively connected with thefemale coupling member 130 and, conversely, to be in a closed positionwhen the male coupling member 128 is disconnected from the femalecoupling member 130.

In this case, the body 122 and the valve assembly 126 are integrallyformed and, as seen in FIG. 8, the latter includes a valve member 134and a valve seat 136. The valve member 134 is shown in its positionagainst the valve seat 136 to close the male coupling member 128, butfor a very minor gap there between for illustrative purposes only.

The male coupling member 128 includes an inner male portion 140 havingan inner fluid channel 140 a and an outer sheath portion 142 spaced fromthe inner male portion 140 to form a passage 144 there between forreceiving the female coupling member 130. At least one, in this casethree, valve actuating portions 146 (two being shown in FIG. 7) arepositioned in the passage 144 to abut the female coupling member 130 andto displace the valve member during the travel of the female couplingmember 130 along the passage 144. In this case, each valve actuatingportion 146 is integrally formed with the valve member 134.

Each valve actuating portion 146 includes a pair of abutment elements150, 152 which are spaced from one another along the passage 144 toreceive the female coupling member 130 there between and to travel withthe female coupling member along the passage 144. The abutment element152 has a bevelled outer surface 152 a for reasons to be described. Eachactuating portion 146 is longitudinally oriented relative to the passage144 and the abutment elements 150, 152 are positioned along theactuating portion 146.

Each valve actuating portion 146 includes a locking flange 154 and thevalve assembly includes a locking seat 156 to receive the locking flange154 when the valve member 134 is in the closed position. In this case,the valve actuating portion 146 has a distal end region and the lockingflange 154 is located in the distal end region, while the locking seat156 is formed in the outer sheath portion 142.

It will be seen in FIG. 10 that each valve actuating portion 146 isarranged to flex in order to displace the locking flange 154 out of thelocking seat 156.

Referring to FIG. 8, the valve member 134 includes a back plate 160 andthe actuating portions 146 are equally spaced on the back plate 160. Theback plate 160 has a central fluid channel 162 which is in fluidcommunication with the chamber 124 and the valve member 134 has a fluidchannel 163 therein in fluid communication with the central fluidchannel 162 and hence the chamber 124. In addition, the fluid channel163 has a lateral portion 163 a which establishes fluid communicationbetween the fluid channel 163 and an inner fluid channel 140 a in theinner male portion.

The device 120 is thus used as follows. The valve assembly is set withthe valve member in its closed position, that is with the valve member134 in its position against the valve seat 136 as shown in FIG. 8. Thefemale coupling member 130 on the needle 132 is aligned with the passage144 and brought toward the male coupling member 128. The bevelledleading surface 152 a on the abutment member 152 aids to centre thefemale coupling member on the mouth of the passage 144. With the lockingflange 154 in the locking seat 156, the female coupling member 130 isable to pass the lowermost edge of the abutment element 152 and continueinto the passage 144 until the female coupling member makes contact withthe abutment element 150 as seen in FIG. 9. As seen in FIG. 10,continued inward force on the female coupling member is transferred tothe abutment element 150 causing the abutment portion 146 to moveinwardly along the passage and thus to draw the locking flange 154 fromthis locked position in the locking seat 156, causing the abutmentportion 146 to flex, until the locking flange 154 is removed from thelocking seat 156. At this position, it can be seen that the valve member134 has moved from the valve seat 136 to open the fluid channel 163 tothe needle 132.

Referring to FIG. 11, as the female coupling member 130 is removed fromthe passage 144, it makes contact with the abutment element 152 andcauses the abutment portion 146 to move outwardly along the passage 144and thus cause the valve member 134 to move toward the valve seat 136.The locking flange 154 approaches, and finally enters, the locking seat156 to coincide with the closure of the valve assembly.

Thus, the device 120 does not make use of a valve member which is biasedto its closed position as with the earlier embodiment, but rather relieson the displacement of the female coupling member 130 to draw the valveassembly to its closed position when it is removed from the malecoupling member 128.

Another device is shown at 170 in FIGS. 13 to 15, having a body 172providing a chamber 174 therein to contain a fluid material. A valveassembly 176 is in fluid communication with the chamber 174 and has amale coupling member 178 for engaging a female coupling member 180,again on a needle 181, to form a fluid coupling between the medicaldispensing device 170 and the needle 181.

The valve assembly 176 is operable to control fluid flow through themale coupling member and more particularly to actuate or open the malecoupling member 178 when operatively connected with the female couplingmember 180 and, conversely, to close the male coupling member 178 whendisconnected from the female coupling member 180.

In this case, the male coupling member 178 includes a projection 182which is fixed to the body 172. A sheath portion 184 encircles theprojection 182 and is also fixed to the body 172. The sheath portion 184and is spaced from the projection 182 to form a passage 186 to receivethe female coupling member 180.

A valve member 190 is movable relative to the projection 182 and forms afluid channel 192 there between and sealed by an inner seal 193. Theprojection 182 includes an inner passage 194 which has one end 194 aopen to the chamber 174 and another end 194 b which is open to the fluidchannel 192.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the projection includes an enlarged endportion 198 and the valve member 190 has an outer portion 200 arrangedto engage the enlarged end portion 198 to close the fluid channel 192.In this case, the passage 186 ends at an inner wall 202 and the valvemember 190 is movable relative to the inner wall 202 under the action ofa spring 203 which is positioned in the passage 186 between the valvemember 190 and the inner wall 202 to bias the outer end portion 200 ofthe valve member 190 toward an engaged position with the enlarged endportion 198.

As can be seen in FIG. 15, the enlarged end portion 198 and the outerend portion 200 on the valve member 190 have mating bevelled surfaces198 a and 200 a respectively.

The valve member 190 is operable to engage the female coupling member180 and to travel with the female coupling member 180 along the passage186. In this case, the female coupling member 180 has a leading segment180 a and the outer end portion 200 of the valve member 190 isdimensioned to fit within the leading segment 180 a.

In contrast to the device 120 of FIG. 6, the device 170 has a valvemember 190 which is biased to the closed position. As the femalecoupling member 180 passes over the projection 182, the leading segment180 a of the female coupling member 180 rides over the outer end portion200 of the valve element 190. Continued inward displacement of thefemale coupling member 180 into the passage 186 thus causes the valvemember to move relative to the projection 182 until the mating bevelledsurfaces 198 a, 202 a separate to open the fluid channel 192 to theneedle. The fluid coupling is thus fully operational when the female andmale coupling members are tightly engaged. When the female couplingmember 180 is removed from the male coupling member 178, the valvemember 190 is returned to its closed position against the projection 198under the biasing action of the spring 203, to close the male couplingmember.

While the present invention has been described for what are presentlyconsidered the preferred embodiments, the invention is not so limited.To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to beaccorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all suchmodifications and equivalent structures and functions.

The valve unit may be used with other medical fluid delivery devices,such as IV lines, catheters, infusion pumps and the like. The valve unitmay also be used on syringes and other medical devices which do notemploy the ubiquitous luer coupling arrangement.

The following is claimed:
 1. A method of providing a medical connector,the method comprising: providing a housing including a proximal portionand a distal portion; providing a female luer; providing a male luerprojection being located at the distal portion of the housing; andproviding a valve member being longitudinally movable between a closedposition and an open position, the valve member comprising: an internalfluid pathway, a proximal end being moveable between the open positionand the closed position, the moveable proximal end comprising anopen-ended proximal end surface, at least one distal opening, and adistal end portion being located in a distal direction from the at leastone distal opening, the distal end portion being configured to obstructfluid communication between the male luer projection and the internalfluid pathway when in the closed position, wherein the valve member whenin the closed position is configured to inhibit fluid flow through theinternal fluid pathway, wherein the valve member when in the openposition is configured to allow fluid flow through the internal fluidpathway, wherein at least a portion of the valve member is positionedwithin the male luer projection in the closed position, wherein at leasta portion of the valve member is positioned outside of the male luerprojection in both the open position and the closed position, andwherein the valve member is biased toward the closed position.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the open-ended proximal end surface is widerthan a distal-most end tip of the valve member.
 3. The method of claim1, wherein the valve member is formed of a single piece of material. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one distal opening of thevalve member comprises two distal openings.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the distal end portion of the valve member comprises a plug. 6.The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an actuating memberbeing configured to actuate at least a portion of the valve member fromthe closed position to the open position.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the valve member extends along the housing from: (i) a firstregion of the medical connector that is configured to receive an end ofa medical article, to (ii) a second region of the medical connectorcontaining the male luer projection.
 8. The medical connector of claim 1further comprising providing a biasing member being configured to asserta restoring force on the valve member, the restoring force beingconfigured to move the valve member longitudinally within the housing tothe closed position, wherein the biasing member contacts a proximal halfof the valve member.
 9. A method of providing a medical connectorconfigured to receive a male end of a medical article, the methodcomprising: providing a housing comprising a proximal region and adistal region being separate from the proximal region, the proximalregion being joined with the distal region; providing a female luer endbeing configured to receive a male end of a medical article; providing amale luer projection; providing a threaded shroud surrounding at least aportion of the male luer projection, the threaded shroud comprising oneor more threads; providing a valve member being longitudinally movablebetween a closed position and an open position, the valve membercomprising: an internal fluid pathway, at least one opening beingmoveable with the valve member and comprising a distal end being locateddistal from a proximal end of the one or more threads of the threadedshroud in the open position, and a distal end portion being located in adistal direction from the at least one opening, the distal end portionbeing configured to inhibit fluid communication between the male luerprojection and the internal fluid pathway when in the closed position,the distal end portion comprising a distal-most end tip being positionedwithin the male luer projection in both the open position and the closedposition, wherein a proximal-most end of the valve member is wider thanthe distal-most end tip, wherein the valve member when in the closedposition is configured to inhibit fluid flow between the internal fluidpathway and the male luer projection, wherein the valve member when inthe open position is configured to allow fluid flow between the internalfluid pathway and the male luer projection through the at least oneopening, and wherein the valve member is biased toward the closedposition; and positioning the valve member within the housing such thatat least a portion of the valve member is located outside of the maleluer projection when the valve member is in both the open position andthe closed position.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein at least aportion of the valve member is positioned within the male luerprojection in the closed position.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinthe proximal-most end of the valve member comprises a proximal-facingopening.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one opening ofthe valve member further comprises two distal openings.
 13. The methodof claim 9, wherein the valve member is formed of a single piece ofmaterial.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the valve member extendsalong the housing from: (i) a first region of the medical connector thatis configured to receive the male end of the medical article, to (ii) asecond region of the medical connector containing the male luerprojection.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the distal-most end tipof the valve member comprises a plug.
 16. The method of claim 9 furthercomprising providing an actuating member being configured to actuate atleast a portion of the valve member from the closed position to the openposition.
 17. The medical connector of claim 9 further comprisingproviding a biasing member being configured to assert a restoring forceon the valve member, the restoring force being configured to move thevalve member longitudinally within the housing to the closed position,wherein the biasing member contacts a proximal half of the valve member.18. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing the medicalarticle.